Global
Wisdom
Published by the Public Affairs Office © 2014
www.ust.hk
20 13 -20 14 HKUS T Ann ual R epor t2013-2014 Annual Report
Global
Wisdom
Published by the Public Affairs Office © 2014
www.ust.hk
20 13 -20 14 HKUS T Ann ual R epor t2013-2014 Annual Report
(The Laws of Hong Kong: Chapter 1141)
The objects of the University –
(a) to advance learning and knowledge through
teaching and research, particularly –
(i) in science, technology, engineering,
management and business studies; and
(ii) at the postgraduate level; and
(b) to assist in the economic and social
development of Hong Kong.
Objects
To be a leading university with significant international impact and
strong local commitment.
Global – To be a world-class university at the cutting edge
internationally in all targeted fields of pursuit.
National – To contribute to the economic and social development of
the nation as a leading university in China.
Local
– To play a key role, in partnership with government,
business, and industry, in the development of Hong Kong
as a knowledge-based society.
Statement of Vision
Contents
2
ACTING CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD
4
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
10
EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
16
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
26
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE
28
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
30
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
32
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND
SOCIAL SCIENCE
34
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS OFFICE
36
HKUST FOK YING TUNG GRADUATE SCHOOL
38
HKUST JOCKEY CLUB INSTITUTE FOR
ADVANCED STUDY
40
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
44
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
48
INTERNATIONAL AND MAINLAND STRATEGY
52
ORGANIZATION AND RESOURCES
54
GOVERNANCE
56
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
66
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
72
FACTS AND FIGURES
76
APPENDICES
• Court, Council and Senate
• Attendance of Members at Council Meetings • Academic Advisory Committees
(The Laws of Hong Kong: Chapter 1141)
The objects of the University –
(a) to advance learning and knowledge through
teaching and research, particularly –
(i) in science, technology, engineering,
management and business studies; and
(ii) at the postgraduate level; and
(b) to assist in the economic and social
development of Hong Kong.
Objects
To be a leading university with significant international impact and
strong local commitment.
Global – To be a world-class university at the cutting edge
internationally in all targeted fields of pursuit.
National – To contribute to the economic and social development of
the nation as a leading university in China.
Local
– To play a key role, in partnership with government,
business, and industry, in the development of Hong Kong
as a knowledge-based society.
Statement of Vision
Contents
2
ACTING CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD
4
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
10
EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
16
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
26
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE
28
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
30
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
32
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND
SOCIAL SCIENCE
34
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS OFFICE
36
HKUST FOK YING TUNG GRADUATE SCHOOL
38
HKUST JOCKEY CLUB INSTITUTE FOR
ADVANCED STUDY
40
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
44
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
48
INTERNATIONAL AND MAINLAND STRATEGY
52
ORGANIZATION AND RESOURCES
54
GOVERNANCE
56
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
66
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
72
FACTS AND FIGURES
76
APPENDICES
• Court, Council and Senate
• Attendance of Members at Council Meetings • Academic Advisory Committees
(The Laws of Hong Kong: Chapter 1141)
The objects of the University –
(a) to advance learning and knowledge through
teaching and research, particularly –
(i) in science, technology, engineering,
management and business studies; and
(ii) at the postgraduate level; and
(b) to assist in the economic and social
development of Hong Kong.
Objects
To be a leading university with significant international impact and
strong local commitment.
Global – To be a world-class university at the cutting edge
internationally in all targeted fields of pursuit.
National – To contribute to the economic and social development of
the nation as a leading university in China.
Local
– To play a key role, in partnership with government,
business, and industry, in the development of Hong Kong
as a knowledge-based society.
Statement of Vision
Contents
2
ACTING CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD
4
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
10
EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
16
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
26
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE
28
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
30
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
32
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND
SOCIAL SCIENCE
34
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS OFFICE
36
HKUST FOK YING TUNG GRADUATE SCHOOL
38
HKUST JOCKEY CLUB INSTITUTE FOR
ADVANCED STUDY
40
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
44
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
48
INTERNATIONAL AND MAINLAND STRATEGY
52
ORGANIZATION AND RESOURCES
54
GOVERNANCE
56
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
66
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
72
FACTS AND FIGURES
76
APPENDICES
• Court, Council and Senate
• Attendance of Members at Council Meetings • Academic Advisory Committees
In 2013-14, Hong Kong enhanced its role as a hub for higher education. I am proud to see that HKUST has played a pivotal role in this endeavor through its research, scholarship and other initiatives which have drawn some of the world’s top minds to our city.
As laid out in HKUST’s Strategic Plan for 2011-16, the University’s management and faculty have worked tirelessly towards its goals to excel in research and teaching. Faculty development, innovation and knowledge transfer and the building of bridges to Mainland China and Western countries have all progressed during this past year.
Acting Chairman's
Foreword
held by only a few in Hong Kong, was another boost for deeper HKUST connections with leading minds working at the forefront of science and technology globally in academia, business and government.
During 2013-14, the Council continued to support HKUST’s senior management in its institutional development and governance. Enhanced communication on the University’s development plans gave insight into innovations in teaching and learning, resources, and internationalization strategies, and the benefits to students. Sincere thanks go to members of the Court and Council for their readiness to listen and to exchange views in pursuit of their respective roles to guide the University. I commend the work of the President and his team who have pursued the strategic objectives of HKUST with diligence and foresight while ensuring that the campus remains a welcoming and lively meeting ground for all members of the HKUST community. I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the contribution of HKUST’s late Council Chairman Dr Marvin Kin Tung Cheung (1947-2014), who passed away in September 2014, while this report was being produced. After his appointment as Chairman in 2008, Dr Cheung worked first with Vice-Chairman Dr Michael Hoi Hung Mak, and from 2013 with me, to encourage development of the leadership structure and strategic planning, and to help the University move toward new management and performance criteria. Throughout his years of service as Council Chairman, Dr Cheung showed great interest and commitment to advancing HKUST’s development.
As shown in this year’s Annual Report, HKUST is making good progress to achieving its Strategic Plan. Over the coming year, we will be planning to celebrate our silver anniversary. We are looking forward to a bright future.
Acting Chairman, University Council Mr Martin Y Tang
Despite the increasingly competitive global tertiary arena and the fact the Strategic Plan is just midway through its timeframe, the indications for HKUST’s future appear bright.
The year under review was only the 23rd since HKUST’s establishment. Still, the University secured for the second time the No.1 spot in the QS “Top 50 Under 50” rankings, which highlights universities established within the past five decades. The world-leading academics drawn to the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study and the School of Business and Management, and a highly experienced international administrator recruited to take on the University’s campus development during the year, provided further testimony to HKUST’s quality education and research. It also signaled confidence in HKUST’s capability to continue moving toward its vision to become a leading university with significant international impact and strong local commitment.
Leadership is a critical factor in keeping up momentum and turning strategy into workable advances. The Council was therefore pleased to announce in September 2013 that President Tony F Chan, who has headed HKUST since 2009, will continue his presidency until 2019. President Chan’s subsequent election to the US National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors globally and an accolade
President's Report
It seems amazing to note that five years have passed already since I took up the leadership of this remarkable University. It has been a time of great change, with the introduction of Hong Kong’s four-year degree system, the double cohort, and the immense preparations jointly undertaken throughout HKUST to handle these developments. Along with continuing achievements in our research and our increasing global presence, it has been a rewarding time to steer the way. So I was delighted to receive the Council’s endorsement for a further five-year term in September 2013.
MANAGEMENT VISION
Over the past 12 months, other appointments have been made to our senior management team. These include Mr Mark Hodgson, who was recruited as the new Vice-President for Administration and Business. His 26 years’ experience of finance and administration leadership will assist in campus development and long-term facility and staff initiatives. In addition, Prof Jitendra Singh was appointed Dean of the School of Business and Management. Prof Singh has spent the past two decades at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is a renowned management scholar and educator and his worldwide links with business and academia will be of great value to the School internationally.
our focus on the recruitment of female undergraduates into our science and engineering programs. Our postgraduates also continue to diversify.
BROAD AND DEEP EDUCATION
As the first four-year undergraduate degree cohort completed Year 2, the University reviewed courses and advisory systems as students prepared to move on from the Core Curriculum. It was gratifying to see nearly all students attained their first choice of major subject and recognition must be made of faculty members’ immense efforts to set up an effective framework and curricula to enable such
THE GLOBAL CAMPUS
It is one of HKUST’s major goals to diversify the campus to prepare our some 13,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students for their roles as global citizens. As a result of enterprise and hard work in recruitment, program initiatives, and the attraction of high achievement, HKUST now has the most diverse non-local undergraduate students among University Grants Committee-funded tertiary institutions, with 45% from Asia and the rest of the world and 55% from Mainland China. This has been assisted by the growing number and range of our scholarships, with more than 1,630 leading undergraduates receiving awards for academic and other achievements in 2013-14. We have increased
an outcome. At postgraduate level, the Fall 2013 introduction of a required Professional Development Course covering communication, ethics, and other essential skills is set to help students extend their career prospects in entrepreneurship and industry as well as academic research.
We further developed our Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provision, and made our own contribution to the development of this blossoming global trend in digital university teaching and learning through a blended learning pilot scheme enabling HKUST students to earn credits through HKUST MOOCs.
RESEARCH RECOGNITION
Spurred by the enthusiasm and drive of our faculty members, the University’s research flourished over the year. HKUST secured more than $485 million in research funding, including awards for 219 new projects from Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council. Two Areas of Excellence science projects, led by HKUST, received a total of $96 million, with other major awards made under the Collaborative Research Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund and the 973 National Basic Research Program. Our targeted strategic partnership initiative with leading universities overseas also began to realize its potential with the provision of seed-funding sponsorship leading to over 35 joint workshops, and more than 70 faculty and student visits.
With the community’s steadfast support, the number of endowed chairs rose to 28 during the past year. In addition, our faculty continued to be recognized at the highest levels, with HKUST’s sixth faculty member
elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others receiving State Natural Science and Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards.
ON THE WORLD MAP
In 2013-14, national, regional and global engagement remained an impor tant strategic objective for the University. Official approval from the Ministry of Education for the Joint School of Sustainable Development, developed together with Xi’an Jiaotong University, and the strategic realignment of HKUST’s other Mainland platforms will now enable the University to work more cohesively on sustainability, innovation, technology transfer and commercialization in Mainland China.
Internationally, the University maintained its strong presence in world rankings. For the second year in a row, HKUST secured the No.1 position globally in the QS Top 50 Under 50, for institutions less than 50 years old. We were ranked No.18 in the Global Employability University Ranking, with results published in the
International New York Times. To continue our practice
of the last few years to widen knowledge of HKUST and networks further, I led a delegation of faculty and senior management to Latin America where we visited 12 leading universities and six science and technology institutions in three countries. There were management visits to 30 other institutions globally and more than 60 Memoranda of Understanding signed over the year. I was also very happy to lead faculty experts in hosting the second HKUST IdeasLab session at the “Summer Davos” of the World Economic Forum in Dalian in
6
SPECIAL TRIBUTE
During the compiling of this annual report, the sad news of the passing of our Council Chairman Dr Marvin Kin Tung Cheung (1947-2014) was announced. As President of HKUST, I would like to pay tribute to the contribution made by Dr Cheung to the University’s advancement and remarkable achievements. I and other members of senior management were continually supported by Dr Cheung’s wise guidance and advice as leader of our Council since 20 08 and as Vice - Chairman prior to that. H e shared his ex p erience and time generously and HKUST has moved progressively ahead in numerous areas of governance as a result.
September 2013 and to personally attend for the second time the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2014. The latter included participation in the Global University Leaders Forum, together with more than 20 other presidents of top universities worldwide.
ADVANCING AND CONTRIBUTING
Another far-reaching and exciting development over the year was our increased activities in relation to the University’s enterprise culture. During 2013-14, HKUST’s entrepreneurial ecosystem had fostered a total of 35 financially active companies associated with our faculty, students and alumni. A growing range of strategic industrial partnerships with major companies, including Huawei, Thales, UC RUSAL, and Lenovo, have thrived. Over the year, the creation of the new senior post of Associate Provost for Knowledge Transfer and growing student ac tivities in relation to entrepreneurship demonstrated our commitment to practical innovation and business initiation, alongside education and research.
At the same time, we moved steadily forward in our students’ social contribution to the community. Awareness of the needs of others, leadership skills, and service learning have been highlighted through programs such as the REDbird Award scheme, HKUST Connect, which now works together with 80 partners in the community on service projects, and a newly piloted Student Leadership Program, which has attracted over 200 students already.
The advancement of campus facilities added further momentum to the University’s endeavors. Following the relocation of the School of Business and Management to the Lee Shau Kee Campus, the eight-story Cheng Yu Tung Research and Academic Building will soon be ready, marking another major milestone for our campus development. Some other facilities are undergoing construction and refurbishment, such as The Hub, a student center and coffee shop located in the Piazza, and the Conference Tower right next to the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study.
LOOKING AHEAD
Such directions point the way for further expansion of amenities and programs to give our students the truly life-changing higher education experience that can enable them to fully understand and utilize their potential. Nurtured and bound by the 1-HKUST concept of communal endeavor, they also serve as the foundation for the development of HKUST core values that can serve as a guide and direction finder when faced with challenging times and as a distinctive mark of excellence for the University as a whole.
These are not small ambitions but I believe they are achievable ones, thanks to the dedication and commitment that has already been shown by Council and Court members, faculty, staff, students and alumni. I would also like to thank our community supporters whose strong and heartening belief in our capabilities has kept the University advancing on all fronts. Over the past year, we have taken numerous steps toward a future that will see HKUST become an institution which merely by name stirs up images of achievement, character, endeavor and contributive spirit among people worldwide. In the year ahead, I look forward to working with you all to turn those steps into pathways.
President Prof Tony F Chan, JP
(From left):
Mr Mark Hodgson Vice-President for
Administration and Business Dr Eden Y Woon
Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Prof Tony F Chan President
Prof Joseph Hun-Wei Lee Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies
Prof Wei Shyy
Executive Vice-President and Provost 8
Increasing diversity among the student population, on-going advances
with the four-year degree system and a leading role in the global
move to provide Massive Open Online Courses have made 2013-14 a
fruitful year
EDUCATION
DEVELOPMENT
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Attracting High Caliber Students
HKUST has continued to recruit top students to its undergraduate and postgraduate programs and to diversify the campus population, with a growing number of scholarships playing an important part. In the year under review, 1,637 undergraduate students received scholarships, amounting to $50.34 million, an increase of 49.5% over five years. Awards included prestigious, tertiary-wide competitive schemes. Eight of the University’s students received Innovation and Technology Scholarships, almost 30% of the total number of awards across Hong Kong, while four were awarded HKSAR Targeted Scholarships, 40% of the total.
HKUST A B C D E F G 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Mainland China Data source: UGC
Other Places in Asia UGC-funded Institution
The Rest of the World
Percentage of Non-local UG Enrollment
Non-local Undergraduate Enrollment of
UGC-funded Programs by Institution
– Breakdown of Non-local UG Enrolled Students by Origin, 2013/2014 –
Building Diversity
Scholarships can also assist diversity on campus, a key goal for recruitment to equip graduates for an increasingly globalized working life and society. In 2013-14, non-local undergraduates at HKUST constituted the most diverse group of non-local undergraduate students among UGC-funded institutions, with approximately 55% from Mainland China, 39% from other places in Asia, and 6% from the rest of the world.
400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Faculty Projects Students
UROP Development (2004-05 to 2013-14)
With the non-local undergraduate intake now reaching 20% of the total, the University has further broadened recruitment. HKUST representatives attended education fairs and held information sessions in a wide range of countries, targeting Mainland China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and others. In addition, admission interviews were held in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Mainland China with a positive response from prospective students in each location and around 1,350 attending interviews in total.
Gender diversity is another priority. In partnership with the Women’s Foundation and ANZ, the University has established Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Scholarships to encourage first and second-year female undergraduates at HKUST to pursue science and engineering degrees. Together with the Women Faculty Association, HKUST ran the second Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program in July 2013. Over 90 senior-secondary students took part.
Four-Year Degree Making Good Progress
In 2013-14, the first cohort of four-year students under Hong Kong’s new undergraduate degree system completed Year 2. In designing the new curriculum, a high-quality Undergraduate Common Core was a critical goal, including studies across sciences, technologies, social analysis, arts and humanities, and courses to enhance English and Chinese language skills and quantitative reasoning. In their first and second years, students build the foundation necessary to pursue specialist major programs. Schools used the experience gained over the past two years to review their foundation courses to ensure they were well aligned with students’ academic preparation on entry. To help students make their choice of major, Schools have built up their capability to provide academic advising and mentoring. Faculty advisors form the core of these operations, while senior students serve as peer advisors. Professional advising and counseling are also provided.
12
The result of these efforts and the increasing flexibility of programs is that almost all students have been able to enter their first choice of major.
BROADER OUTLOOK
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) continues to thrive with 148 faculty members contributing to the program and almost 400 students embarking on a journey of discovery. A Year 2 Physics student, winner of the 2014 Mr Armin and Mrs Lillian Kitchell Undergraduate Research Award, presented his new theory on network reliability at two international academic conferences in Poland and Canada in summer 2014. Meanwhile the International Research Opportunities Program (IROP) moved into its third year, giving undergraduate students the chance to participate in faculty-led research at overseas universities, including the MIT-HKUST Summer Research Exchange Program. In 2013/14, more than 900 students took part in exchange studies with almost 200 partner institutions, with support totaling $4.65 million. In addition to the University’s Exchange Sponsorship Scheme, corporate donors and community leaders generously support exchange study through scholarships. Over 90 students were awarded a total of $2.94 million scholarships for their overseas exchange experience over the year. As students prepare themselves for careers, recruitment activities such as Career Mosaic and placement courses, programs and talks offer a head start. Another valuable way to learn about work is through internship schemes, with University provision including the Internship Learning Scheme, SOAR Mainland Internship Program and the ASEAN Internship Program. Schools and departments are also active in providing and supporting internships. Among the new developments, two students from the Global China Studies Program interned with the US Congress.
Wider Community Service and Student Well-being
Service learning is an increasingly important component of students’ education at HKUST. Under the REDbird Award program 125 students participated in 77 service learning projects in 2013-14. HKUST Connect collaborates with over 80 community partners to offer different types of service opportunities. In 2013-14, over 2,600 participants took part in 111 service projects, including 11 service learning trips to Mainland China, Cambodia, Malaysia and the United States. A Student Leadership Program was piloted in Spring 2014. More than 235 students have benefited from workshops and a study trip.
Students’ willingness to care for others also saw two undergraduates receiving the Top 10 Outstanding Youth Awards, presented by the HKSAR Home Affairs Bureau and Commission on Youth. In addition, the new Counseling and Wellness Center opened during the year, creating a fun space and resource center for students to mingle, relax, seek resources, and work towards balanced healthy living.
Deepening Campus Integration
T he Student s’ Union, International Student s’ Association, and Mainland Students and Scholars’ Society (Undergraduate section) jointly organized a week-long conference on campus diversity and student integration, bringing together over 50 student leaders from HKUST and overseas universities. Other student-initiated activities continued to be encouraged via a range of schemes, including the 1-HKUST Student Life Award, Student Enrichment Activities Fund, Graduate Student Life Fund, and publications such as the Orientation Activities Toolkit for Student O rganizer s. Event s such as T EDxHKUS T were successfully organized on campus.
Developing Sports and Arts
The University took home the overall championship in the Inter-University Archery Tournament, won the flat-water rowing M2X event, and triumphed in the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong, Mainland China – Rugby Competition. The soft opening of the HKUST Water Sports Center in October 2013 was celebrated with a Dragon Boat Fun Race. Creative pursuits included the month-long HKUST Arts Festival, the HKUST Mural Art Project, and the HKUST Music Alive! concert series, all drawing attention to the role of arts in innovation.
Reaching Out to the Next Generation
The 2013 HKUST Information Day attracted over 30,000 visitors from the secondary school sector, while a JUPAS admission briefing session was organized for local secondary school teachers in November 2013 to share the University’s experience on the admission of the first two HKDSE cohorts.
President Chan hosted two luncheons for local secondary school principals and teachers and Hong Kong-based international secondary school principals and teachers respectively. Briefing sessions were also held for parents of international schools in Hong Kong. Following last year’s successful visit, a second group of teachers from notable French high schools visited the campus to experience HKUST life and encourage students to apply to the University.
POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION
The postgraduate student population saw overall growth of 7.6%, compared with the previous year, with a total headcount of 4,242, as of 31 December 2013. Growth was seen in both research postgraduates and taught postgraduates. Recognition of HKUST’s standing in the research community was further demonstrated by its continuing success in the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. The University received the largest number of awards among institutions, securing 65 out of a total of 223 across Hong Kong, representing 29% of the awards offered.
The Joint School of Sustainable Development, a collaboration between HKUST and Xi’an Jiaotong University, saw its first cohort of research students start their studies. A total of 27 students are involved in the program.
Research Student Support
A new matching-fund scheme was launched in 2013-14 to encourage recruitment of local research postgraduates. Meanwhile, the percentage of international students among non-local research postgraduates continued to increase, reaching 10% in 2013-14. Another matching-fund scheme for international visiting internship students was launched in Spring 2014 to draw students from a select group of institutions to HKUST to encourage them to pursue research postgraduate studies at the University. The new scheme helped the University receive 109 visiting internship students in 2013-14, up from 64 the previous year.
To enhance professional knowledge, ethical standards, and transferrable skills of research postgraduates, a required Professional Development Course (PDC) was introduced from Fall 2013. The Overseas Research Awards Scheme increased from 24 to 36 awards, offering senior PhD students the valuable experience to participate in research work abroad. Attendance at conferences also continued to be supported through the research travel grant program.
14
New Taught Programs
Student numbers for taught postgraduate programs rose to 2,532, as of 31 December 2013, from 2,399 the previous year, with the main increase in full-time programs. Over 50% of the students were from outside Hong Kong. Many different countries were represented. While Mainland China remained the predominant source, the number of international students rose to 13% in 2013-14. Four new MSc programs were introduced in 2013-14: Environmental Health and Safet y (School of Science); Global Operations (School of Business and Management); International Management (School of Business and Management); and Global China Studies (School of Humanities and Social Science).
In the inaugural year of the Ford-HKUST Conservation and Environmental Research Grants Program for Master of Science engineering students, a total of 23 projects were selected and funded.
GLOBAL TRENDS AND ADVANCES
Following a Memorandum of Understanding signed by HKUST and Oxford in 2013, the Oxford-HKUST Leadership and Public Policy Series was launched in January 2014 to provide quality executive education to senior members of the public sector in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Asia. The University is also collaborating with Smith College to launch the HKUST-Smith Leadership Program for Women. During 2013-14, more than 60 Memoranda of Understanding were signed with international partners.
There was further growth in HKUST’s provision of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), university-level courses open to anyone linked to the internet. Following initial programs offered on Coursera, a major global platform, the University prepared three courses for edX, another leading provider. A blended learning pilot scheme was also offered for HKUST students to earn credits through HKUST MOOCs if they also completed face-to-face coursework during the summer, which contributes to solving the verification challenge facing MOOCs globally.
Taking a lead in how to bring together students from different cultures, HKUST hosted the 9th University Administrators Workshop: Promoting the Integration of Local and International Students to Create a Vibrant and Stimulating Learning Environment. The workshop included over 170 university staff from 48 institutions around the globe.
HKUST’s holistic, internationalized approach to education was recognized when the University was ranked No.18 in the high-profile Global Employability University Ranking 2013, the only institution in Greater China in the top 20.
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
In 2013-14, the University secured total research funding of $485 million from various sources, the largest of which was from Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council (RGC). A total of 219 new research projects were awarded by RGC, with a total project value of $177 million. HKUST researchers also achieved the highest success rate (51%) among local institutions in the competitive 2013 General Research Fund exercise.
SPEARHEADING DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION
Two HKUST-led Areas of Excellence science projects focused on Novel Wave Functional Materials for Manipulating Light and Sound and Mechanistic Basis of Synaptic Development, Signaling and Neuro-disorders were awarded a total of $96 million. Another $23 million was awarded under the Collaborative Research Fund for three projects entitled New Topological States in Cold Atom and Condensed Matter Physics Systems, Research in Fundamental Physics: From the Large Hadron Collider to the Universe and Super-resolution Imaging: Revealing the Molecular Organization of Subcellular Organelles.
HKUST has built on its existing strengths to push forward research
frontiers, transfer new knowledge and applications to the wider
community, and inspire an entrepreneurial culture on campus and beyond
Twenty-one HKUST-led projects were awarded funding by the Innovation and Technology Fund. Among them, $11 million was awarded for aerospace engineering projects, a new strategic area of development at HKUST in synchronization with the rapid development of aerospace engineering in the Asia Pacific region. Other projects cover applications for energy and sustainability, and healthcare, electrical and electronics, information technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology. A 973 National Basic Research Program on Structural Biology of Protein Complexes Regulating Neuronal Development and Signal Transduction within Peking University-HKUST-Shenzhen Medical Center was awarded a project fund of around RMB22 million by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Partner State Key Laboratory on Advanced Displays and Optoelectronic Technologies, a joint initiative with Sun Yat-Sen University, commenced operations after gaining approval from the Ministry of Science and Technology. It received $13.75 million funding from the Innovation and Technology Fund.
The Institute for Environment saw significant group projects developed, among them smart urban water supply systems, innovative wastewater treatment, and advanced sustainable materials. The Atmospheric Research Center was established to carry out frontier research on air quality.
In the inaugural invitation for the establishment of Hong Kong branches of Chinese National Engineering Research Center (CNERC) by the Ministry of Science and Technology, HKUST submitted seven proposals covering a variety of research strengths, including robotics and autonomous systems, solid-state lighting systems, big data, visual computing, aggregation-induced emission-based materials, and Chinese medicine.
In March 2014, the HKUST Energy Institute held its inaugural forum on sustainable energy. The University also celebrated the official opening of the HKUST-Qualcomm Joint Innovation and Research Laboratory. Qualcomm Inc. donated US$200,000 as initial funding. Regarding economic development, the HKUST Institute for Emerging Marketing Studies (IEMS), supported by Ernst & Young, collaborated with the World Bank’s Network of Jobs and Development initiative.
In organizational research moves, the HKUST Robotics Institute was established as a unique interdisciplinary platform to lead basic and applied research in robotic technologies at the University. The Super-resolution Imaging Center was set up to develop cutting-edge microscope technology for visualizing living cells less than 20 nanometers, an important enabler for frontier life science research.
MAINLAND PLATFORMS AND STRATEGIC
ALLIANCES
T he Univer sit y has s everal re s earch bas e s in Guangdong, namely the Fok Ying Tung Research Institute (FYTRI) in Nansha, the Shenzhen Research Institute and the Peking University-HKUST-Shenzhen Medical Center, and the HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center at Foshan. In 2013-14, RMB44 million of grants was secured through these platforms.
In strategic moves to increase impact, FYTRI was repositioned to lead HKUST technology transfer activities in Mainland China. The Shenzhen Research Institute launched an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center to better support technology transfer and entrepreneurship activities while the Biopharmaceutical Research Center and RFID Center began operations. The HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center at Foshan obtained certification from China National Accreditation Service to provide national-level third-party testing services. The Center will further develop its high value-added LED products and technical consultancy services to assist local and regional industry. In June 2014, the Center received funding of RMB3 million from the Nanhai Government in continued support for its work. On the international front, the University launched a seed-funding Sponsorship Scheme for Targeted Strategic Partnerships to build collaborative research initiatives with overseas strategic partners. Nineteen awards were made for partnerships, which involved École Normale Supérieure, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Southern California, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Technische Univer sit ät München, encompas sing science, engineering, business, humanities and social science, and interdisciplinary studies.
HKUST is also participating in the €1.5 million Erasmus Mundi EURASICAT project on material science and catalysis, involving 11 universities and institutions in nine countries in Europe and Asia. Prof King Lun Yeung, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is serving as the Asia coordinator.
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION AND
TRANSFER
With the University’s rich research culture, 101 inventions were recorded and 166 new patent applications filed. Three major technology patent portfolios were established, covering novel acoustic materials, aggregation-induced emission materials and their applications, and novel medical devices. With 68 newly granted patents, the University’s total current IP portfolio, including satellite campuses, comprises 831 active patents and patent applications. The Proof-of-Concept Fund continued to provide important gap-funding support for faculty members working toward technology commercialization with 9 new projects receiving the Fund during 2013-14.
During 2013-14, the HKUST R and D Corporation (RDC), a separate not-for-profit legal vehicle wholly owned by the University, was engaged in 207 contract research and consultancy projects (154 contract research projects and 53 consultancies), amounting to $64.8 million received in total. RDC signed 134 new contract research and consultancy agreements, with a total value of $62.8 million. University research centers performed 524 analytical and testing jobs, generating a total of $2.6 million. RDC managed 41 active licensing agreements, with such commercialization generating $4.3 million in total.
18
To increase participation and activities related to knowledge transfer and to raise the profile of the University’s enterprise culture, a new post of Associate Provost for Knowledge Transfer was instituted, with Prof Patrick Yue, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Founding Direc tor of the Center for Industr y Engagement and Internship and an experienced start-up entrepreneur, appointed to the post.
THRIVING INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
Open innovation events such as workshops, networking sessions, open days and others were successfully organized, including the HKUST-Lenovo Joint Workshop on Microelectronics and Integrated Circuits, HKUST-GE China Technology Center Workshop on Big Data, and Biomedical Engineering Industry Day.
Strategic industrial partnerships also flourished. At the HKUST-Huawei Joint Innovation Laboratory, research covers big data and analytics, wireless networks cloud computing architecture, and related areas. In 2013-14, 16 frontier research initiatives were identified, with total funding of close to $30 million provided by Huawei. Other partnerships involve Thales and Chiaphua Industries. Of the Top 100 Global Innovators 2013, as selected by Thomson Reuters, 41% have undertaken collaborations and partnerships with HKUST.
The University boosted awareness of its technologies through participation in international and national exhibitions. The International Conference & Exhibition of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health, Eco Expo Asia, China Hi-Tech Fair, and BIO International Convention 2014 were among the showcases joined.
FOSTERING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL
ECOSYSTEM
E-Academy, a student-led unit of the University’s Entrepreneurship Center, successfully completed its pilot phase. In 2013-14, E-Academy hosted six activities involving about 700 students, including the first Hackathon@HKUST and Entrepreneurship Week. The HKUST Entrepreneurship Startup Workshop Series, a 64-hour training course, was offered to the University community, attracting total attendance of over 400 students and alumni. A similar workshop series was offered to 15 small and medium-sized enterprises in Foshan, in partnership with the HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center at Foshan. In addition, the Entrepreneurship Center offered seven Build Your Own Business (BYOB) seminars, with over 700 participants. Start-up support for faculty, staff and students at the University continued under the HKUST Entrepreneurship Program. During 2013-14, there are a total of 35 companies nurtured by the program who are financially active, comprising 26 spin-offs and 9 start-ups currently being incubated. The fourth annual HKUST Million Dollar Business Plan Competition in June 2014 saw 117 teams participating. The President’s Prize Winner was m-Care Technology Limited, which proposed commercializing an innovative heart arrhythmia monitoring product.
HKUST Venture Entrepreneurship Network, a student-run cross-disciplinary organization, held a Venture Entrepreneurship Festival in May 2014. The festival included a Technology & Idea Showcase for faculty, students, alumni, and industry. The flagship programs, Venture Mentor Service, Venture Link, Tech Link, and Ideation Lab, were also launched.
Research Highlights
ADVANCING CHANGE
HKUST faculty members have continued to make significant
contributions to academia and to the world through numerous
breakthroughs and innovations
ALZHEIMER’S DISCOVERY
The Morningside Professor of Life Science Prof Nancy Ip (Life Science) and her research team discovered a novel molecular target for Alzheimer’s disease, unveiling a potential new therapy for the disease. The team found that Aß can cause aberrant activation of the protein EphA4, triggering a signaling pathway that results in cognitive impairment. They demonstrated that EphA4 is the key player in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. The team then explored the potential of manipulating this pathway as a possible therapeutic intervention. Molecular docking analysis, undertaken in collaboration with Prof Xuhui Huang (Chemistry),
saw the identification of a naturally occurring compound from a traditional Chinese medicine database. This small molecule can rescue the synaptic impairment that underlies cognitive impairment as well as reduce disease pathology in animal models, demonstrating a potential new clinical intervention. The ground-breaking discoveries have been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
QUANTUM JUMP
Researchers led by Profs Iam Keong Sou, Jiannong Wang, Rolf Lortz, and Kam Tuen Law (Physics) achieved a breakthrough in topological superconductors by fabricating a novel Bi2Te3/FeTe heterostructure that enjoys rare two-dimensional super-conductivity at t h e i n t e r f a c e . T h e y a l s o p r o v i d e d s t r o n g evidence for the two-dimensional nature of the superconductivity observed and addressed possible mechanisms of this phenomenon. The topological superconductor developed by HKUST can trap a quasi-particle known as “Majorana fermion”, predicted theoretically in 1937, and advance practical development of a quantum computer.
20
ADDING TO NUMBER THEORY
Prof Xuhua He (Mathematics) applied his algebra and number theory research on the properties of elements in Weyl groups to answer important open problems related to the dimensions of geometrical objects known as Deligne-Lusztig varieties. Prof He’s paper was published in Annals of Mathematics. Prof He’s research also brought him the Morningside Gold Medal.
UNDERSTANDING PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Research led by Prof Xuhui Huang and Prof Yijing Yan (Chemistry) has helped solve a long-standing question on fundamental mechanisms of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, sunlight is used to extract electrons from water to produce oxygen. The reaction occurs in the photosystem II protein. This contains pigments distributed symmetrically in two branches. However, only one branch is involved in producing oxygen. By applying molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics calculations, HKUST researchers discovered that the dynamic and asymmetric protein environment makes one specific chlorophyll, CLA606, in the active chain significantly easier to be excited by sunlight energy, leading to electron transfer along the active chain. The work provides insight for the design of artificial photosynthetic systems that could serve as alternative energy devices.
EASING RUSH HOUR
Dr Chi Ho Yeung and Prof Michael Wong (Physics), in collaboration with A ston University, United Kingdom, derived a novel approach for coordinating optimal routes for individual passengers. Logistics, air traffic, and communication networks, such as the internet, may also benefit. The new method aims
to coordinate individual routes to avoid congestion in peak hours and to optimize the use of resources in off-peak hours. Findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), and highlighted in Nature Physics, PNAS science blog, and the science news website Phys.org.
FUELING THE FUTURE
Prof Tianshou Zhao (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) and his team’s work on Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells have focused on their research entitled “Characteristics of Coupled Multiphase Heat and Mass Transfer and Electrochemical Reactions in Fuel Cells” in the physical and chemical processes of fuel cells, successfully revealed the underlying mechanism of coupled heat/mass transfer and electrochemical kinetics in fuel cells, and established a new theoretical framework. The use of this theoretical framework enables the performances of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells and Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells to be six and four times higher than the previous ones, respectively.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY BOOST
Prof Kei May Lau (Electronic and Computer Engineering) and her research team have developed a novel “match-making” technology to deposit next-generation speed energy-efficient transistors on silicon using high-mobility compound semiconductor materials. These devices seek to reduce power consumption by as much as 10 times and increase switching speed five-fold. The team received the JSAP Outstanding Paper Award by The Japan Society of Applied Physics, the only research team in Hong Kong and Mainland China to receive this award in its history since 1979.
FRESH THEORIES ON 3D WORLD
Dr Tian Fang (Computer Science and Engineering) and collaborators from Beijing Normal University and Wuhan University have developed theories and methods of earth surface feature modeling and visualization based on multi-sensor spatial data that advance research and application of image segmentation and intelligent data 3D scene reconstruction. They have put forward a series of novel approaches for denoising images and point clouds with missing data, noise and complex backgrounds. They have also promoted the development of object recognition and segmentation technologies and improved the theories and methods of multi-sensor data-driven 3D reconstruction, forming unique theory systems for automatic reconstruction of 3D city models.
IPO UNDERPRICING
A study by Prof Mingyi Hung (Accounting), with Prof Hyun Hong (University of California, Riverside) and Prof Gerald Lobo (University of Houston), has found a decrease in Initial Public Offering (IPO) underpricing and an increase in relative proceeds from foreign markets following the adoption of mandator y International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The research was published in The Accounting Review.
INFLUENCING CHOICE
Prof Michael Zhang (Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management), Prof Feng Zhu, (Harvard Business School) and Prof Monic Sun (Boston University), explored how people trade off the fundamental human needs to belong and to be different in social networks, through analysis of
evidence from a large-scale field experiment on a leading social networking site in China. The results, replicated in surveys on subjects in the United States, uncover managerial implications for product diffusion and social media marketing.
RATING PERFORMANCE
Prof Ellick Wong (Management) inves tigated performance differentiation in performance evaluation, proposing and testing the notion that differentiation of ratings is a result of anchoring and adjustment. The prediction was supported by results in a pilot study involving gymnastics in the London 2012 Olympic Games and a main study in which the initial performance dispersion of rates was experimentally manipulated.
STUDENT DIVERSITY
Using data from Peking University and Soochow University, Prof James Lee (Social Science) and Prof Cameron Campbell (Social Science) documented the distinctive diversity of China’s university students as a result of the college entrance examination system known as the gaokao in a 2013 Chinese-language book Silent Revolution: The Social Origins of Peking University and Soochow University Undergraduates, 1949-2002. The book was co-authored with Chen Liang and published by Beijing Sanlian.
ORIGINS OF PUBLIC FINANCE
Prof Wenkai He (Social Science) published Paths Toward the Modern Fiscal State, England, Japan, and China (Harvard University Press), describing the rise of modern public finance that revolutionized the world’s economies. Prof He compares the paths of the three countries to discover why some governments developed the tools and institutions of modern public finance, and others, facing similar circumstances, failed to do so, and the consequences that resulted.
22
SAVING WATER
The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education formed a partnership with HKUST under an international consortium to undertake a three-year water-saving project in Cuba. This includes the adaptation of HKUST’s innovative SANI urban water management system, developed by Prof Guanghao Chen (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and his collaborators, the conversion of part of a tourist resort near Havana to seawater toilet flushing, and reuse of wastewater for onsite irrigation, to serve as a showcase for other cities in Cuba. The project is funded by the European Union and UNESCO-IHE.
CLEANING UP
A team led by Prof King Lun Yeung (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Division of Environment) and Prof Joseph Kwan (Health, Safety and Environment Office and Division of Environment) have invented a mini pulsed electric field device which could reduce more than 90% of bacteria in running tap water in a few seconds. The technology offers a possible way to control water-borne diseases caused by microbial contamination of water.
3D MAPPING TECHNOLOGY
Prof Long Quan (Computer Science and Engineering) and his team have developed a useful mapping technology, utilizing an algorithm which can map the views of buildings and landmarks according to the images obtained. The current mapping technology of Google uses manual interactive methods which may not be accurate. The missing parts are manually filled which may not be accurate. The HKUST breakthrough replaces manual input involved in current 3D mapping technology, enhancing the accuracy of images. The University is collaborating with Google, ST Engineering (Singapore), TOPRS (China), Thales Group to build up 3D maps.
MATERIAL ADVANCE
A research team led by Prof Yui Bun Chan (Civil and Environmental Engineering), with support from global aluminum producer UC RUSAL, has discovered a new aluminum composite. The new material, fiber reinforced aluminum, is stronger than existing aluminum, less expensive and lighter than steel. It can also be used with insulation panels designed to produce a safer and more energy-efficient building envelope system. The project is now undergoing its final phase and is expected to complete in 2015.
APP FOR AUDITORY TRAINING
Prof Albert Wong, Prof Tim Woo and Mr Kobe Lam, Research Assistant, (Electronic and Computer Engineering), have developed an auditory and speech training app for hearing-impaired children, which revolutionizes existing paper-based auditory training tools via Android-based mobile app technology. This mobile app facilitates convenient home training and provides better support to parents and teachers.
KNOWLEDGE
TRANSFER
HKUST develops
technologies to help
drive the future
26
This year, the School saw innovations in its education programs, secured
major funding support for its breakthrough research endeavors, and
strengthened academic exchange with global institutions, which
enabled students to further extend their horizons with a
global perspective
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE
ADVANCING INNOVATIVE EDUCATION
In 2013-14, the School launched the first International Research Enrichment (IRE) program for outstanding undergraduates who aspire to a scientific research career. The study track exposes students to the latest research practices and interdisciplinary knowledge, providing a solid foundation for independent research in the future. To create summer research internship opportunities at overseas laboratories for IRE students, the School has sought to establish agreements with prominent institutions/laboratories, such as the University of Lausanne, the University of Cambridge, Columbia University, and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
A taskforce was formed to spearhead the review of the School’s first-year pre-major curriculum and to collect
student opinions. It subsequently drew up concrete plans to refine the curriculum to optimize students’ learning opportunities. One of the major initiatives is the establishment of a “Center for Peer Instruction and Assessment in Science Education” which will provide an interactive platform for peer instruction and introduce blended learning elements to science foundation courses.
In line with the HKSAR government’s designation of testing and certification as an economic pillar, the School began to plan a simulated accredited testing and certification laboratory to provide students with field practice in quality assurance and accrediting services in chemical, electrical and food safety, and prepare them for future careers in the field.
GLOBAL RESEARCH AND
COLLABORATIONS
The School’s leading research initiatives secured major funding support. Faculty members in Physics and Life Science were awarded close to $100 million in total under the University Grants Committee’s Areas of Excellence Scheme for two projects. Three additional research projects led by Science faculty members gained support from the Research Grants Council’s Collaborative Research Fund, receiving total funding of over $23 million. The School’s research breakthroughs continued to be published in high-impact leading journals, such as the Journal of Computational Physics, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Neuron, and secured top national and international honors, including a State Natural Science Award.
Faculty members played a leading role in the HKUST IdeasLab session held at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum in Dalian in September 2013. Senior academics, including Prof Nancy Ip, The Morningside Professor of Life Science and Dean of the School, held in-depth discussions on brain research and aging issues with other global experts at the session.
The School also collaborated with leading universities to organize joint symposia, yielding rewarding academic exchange. The First École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)-HKUST Joint Symposium was held in March 2014 in Switzerland, with “Neuroscience Meets Cell and Molecular Biology” as the main theme. This was followed by the Biomedical Research Across the Continents symposium in April 2014, organized with the Schools of the Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, the School of Life Sciences at Tsinghua University, the School of Biomedical Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, and held at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Leveraging the success of an existing minor program on actuarial science, the Department of Mathematics proposed an undergraduate stream in financial mathematics and actuarial science for high-calibre students. The new track will provide students with intensive training in quantitative analysis to prepare them for career opportunities in the financial sector.
HOLISTIC STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND
WIDENED RECRUITMENT
To sharpen students’ competitive edge, the School commenced a Career Training and Internship Program, providing students with greater knowledge of the working world and individual consultation services. The School also organized the MenTernship Program, in which community achievers are invited to become mentors and share their experience with students. Students were provided with ample opportunities to expand their experience through services to the wider community, which included the Cambodia Social Service Program, and research projects and field trips in Mainland China and other Asian countries under the University Student Sponsorship Program in Wildlife Conservation, organized together with the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong. Increased recruitment efforts, through the summer research camp, research internship and dedicated trips to overseas institutions, have resulted in a more diverse postgraduate student body. International students came from a range of countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and India. The School also expanded its connection with prospective undergraduate students through a series of events, including JUPAS admission interviews cum discovering science at HKUST, district talks, on-campus visits, and alumni engagement programs for secondary school teachers.
AT THE FOREFRONT OF ENGINEERING
EDUCATION
The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) awarded provisional accreditation to the School’s four-year undergraduate degree programs under the outcome-based education approach, making the School the first in Hong Kong to acquire this. It represented the long-held HKIE recognition of the School.
In support of the School’s tri-modal education initiative – a career aspiration track based on students’ preference for research, professional engineering, or entrepreneurship – the first project-based Engineering
The School extended its education experience, research opportunities
and continued its strong international presence. The Times Higher
Education World University Rankings of Top 100 Universities for
Engineering and Technology 2013-14 ranked HKUST first in Greater China
and 21st globally
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Team Airship Design course was delivered to 56 undergraduates. A new Minor in Entrepreneurship, jointly offered with the School of Business and Management, was launched, with a Minor in Design planned and due to commence in 2014-15.
Further to the success of the undergraduate summer research program with Princeton University, a research program was piloted with Harvard University. The Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management continued its collaboration with the China Academy of Art, offering a Design Thinking course to encourage cross-disciplinary creativity. Undergraduate exchange participation reached 38% in 2013-14, up from 21% in 2008-09.
A new MPhil Program in Technology Leadership and Entrepreneurship began accepting applications.
T h e p o s tg r a d u a t e e d u c a t i o n experience also advanced with the launch of the Professional Development in Engineering course to enhance research students’ professional skills, research ethics and entrepreneurship.
The School once again excelled in drawing top doctoral applicants from around the world through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. A record 42 engineering awardees will start studying at HKUST in Fall 2014. Proactive international recruitment during the year brought the overall international intake to 17% for research postgraduates and 11.6% for taught postgraduates in the new academic year.
In memory of the late Prof Wilson Tang, Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering (1996-2002) and a globally renowned researcher and educator, the Prof Wilson Tang Memorial Fund awarded a series of scholarships and awards to undergraduates and postgraduates for outstanding achievement and student exchanges.
DRIVING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
The Department of Mechanical Engineering changed its name to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Three projects related to aviation/aerospace undertaken in collaboration with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China received over $15 million from Innovation and Technology Fund.
Strategic partnerships were developed with the California Institute of Technology, the University of Southern California and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne under the University’s Sponsorship Scheme for Targeted Strategic Partnerships. Workshops on big data applications, computer and communication sciences, and 3D printing were subsequently organized.
In September 2013, the prestigious Partner State Key Laboratory on Advanced Displays and Optoelectronics Technologies, housed at the School and established in collaboration with Sun Yat-Sen University, was launched. In March 2014, the HKUST Energy Institute was opened. The School’s academics will play a key role in areas such as solar cells, fuel cells, solid state lighting and thermal energy technologies.
FORGING TIES WITH INDUSTRY
The HKUST-Qualcomm Joint Innovation and Research Laboratory, focused on next-generation internet infrastructure, was launched. During the year, HKUST also signed an agreement with Deutsche Telekom (DT) to establish the HKUST-DT System and Media Lab for mobile system and media research.
The Center for Industry Engagement & Internship continued to foster connections between students and the world of business. At the Industrial Forum 2014 on campus, engineering students were introduced to the opportunities in hi-tech small and medium-sized firms in Hong Kong. Off-campus, the School’s student, faculty and alumni innovations were showcased at the HKIE Hi-Tech Fiesta.
A total of 23 projects were chosen for the inaugural year of the Ford-HKUST Conservation and Environmental Research Grants Program for Master of Science engineering students, with research funding totaling $1 million. Postgraduate student visits to major companies such as the MTR Corporation, Cathay Pacific, and Tencent were also arranged.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
The Center for Global & Community Engagement strengthened the School’s presence in a range of activities with NGOs, tertiary institutions, professional institutes and the government. GCE also encourages students to participate in numerous international competitions, enrichment activities, in addition to establishing connections with professional institutions. Center for Engineering Education Innovation further fosters community spirit and leadership, a designated space devoted to leadership and service leadership has been created in the School’s Engineering Commons. The Professional Leader’s Focus area uses customized slide shows, videos and other resources to promote concepts of service leadership. The “Leadership in Engineers” e-newsletter was also launched in May 2014.
In 2013-14, the School moved into its purpose-built home in the Lee Shau Kee Business Building. After a global search, the School also announced Prof Jitendra V Singh had been appointed its new Dean, with effect from September 2014. Prof Singh, a world-class management scholar and business educator, joined the University from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He has wide-ranging experience and achievements in academic, business strategy and policy arenas and extensive academic and corporate links.
BROADER PROGRAM
PORTFOLIO
The initial cohort of the three-continent, three-degree World Bachelor in Business, run together with the Univer sit y of Southern California and Bocconi University, completed its first year in the United States. Students will arrive at HKUST in Fall 2014. The move to expand the MSc program portfolio continued with enrollment for two new full-time MSc programs in Investment Management and Accounting, which will commence in Fall 2014. The School also signed a new partnership agreement with Saudi Aramco to provide a part-time MBA program for two further cohorts, following the successful launch of the pilot program last year.
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
In January 2014, the School completed its maintenance accreditation review in business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
